Austin Riley's Season Struggles
Atlanta Braves' Austin Riley Faces Career-Worst Season, Team Seeks His Past Form
Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley is having the worst season of his career. Through 84 games, he is hitting with a .617 OPS, just eight home runs, 38 RBIs, and a career-high 28.9% strikeout rate, according to WTOC. That is a sharp fall from the player who averaged 36 home runs per season and finished top-seven in NL MVP voting every year from 2021 to 2023.
The slump is hitting the Braves hard as a team, too. Atlanta's once-commanding double-digit NL East lead has shrunk to just 2.5 games after a brutal 9-14 June. Riley says he is "trying to figure it out" and keeping his head up — but time is running short.
A 247-Point OPS Drop From His Peak Years
From 2021 to 2023, Riley was one of the best third basemen in baseball. He averaged a .864 OPS and 36 home runs per season, according to WLOX. This year, his OPS sits at .617 — a drop of 0.247. His hard-hit rate has also fallen from 47.8% to 41.2%. He is on pace for just 15 home runs, less than half his usual output.
Riley signed a 10-year, $212 million extension in 2022. That deal made him the cornerstone of the franchise. A prolonged slump puts enormous pressure on a mid-market team that cannot easily absorb that kind of contract if production does not return.
Injury, Lost Lineup Protection, and a League Adjustment
Riley's troubles did not come out of nowhere. He left a May 12 game against the Mets with side tightness and was diagnosed with an intercostal muscle inflammation, per WMBF News. Intercostal injuries are known for sapping a hitter's rotational power. He missed two weeks. Then, just days after he returned, Ronald Acuña Jr. tore his ACL and was lost for the season.
Acuña's absence changed how pitchers attack Riley. Without a feared hitter behind him in the lineup, pitchers now throw Riley 12% more sliders away than they did in 2023. He is swinging at 34% of them. That "chase rate" on breaking balls is a big reason his strikeouts have jumped from a 24.2% career average to 28.9% this year.
Boos at Truist Park, but the Braves Stay Loyal
Fans at Truist Park have started booing Riley during strikeouts. Riley acknowledged the frustration, saying: "It's frustrating. I'm my own biggest critic. You want to be out there helping the team, and when you're not doing that, it weighs on you." Despite the noise, manager Brian Snitker has refused to move Riley down in the batting order, according to WIS TV.
Snitker said, "He's too good of a player to stay down this long. We've seen what the back of his baseball card says. He's going to break out." Bench coach Walt Weiss has echoed that message, telling players to stay positive while holding themselves to a high standard. Hitting coach Kevin Seitzer works with Riley daily on his swing mechanics.
The Trade Deadline Looms as the Window Narrows
The Braves have 30 days before the July 30 trade deadline. If Riley does not turn things around, GM Alex Anthopoulos may need to trade for offensive help. That could cost the team prospects from an already thin farm system, according to Fox Carolina.
Atlanta's identity is built on power hitting. Without Riley producing at an All-Star level, the team's playoff chances take a real hit. His expected batting average, based on how hard he hits the ball, is higher than his actual average — meaning some bad luck is involved. But a 28.9% strikeout rate is a real problem that luck alone cannot explain.
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